Both excessively short and excessively long sleep have been linked to accelerated biological aging of the brain, heart, lungs, immune system, and other organs. Researchers from Columbia University Irving Medical Center reached this conclusion in a study published in the journal Nature.
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Scientists identified a distinct U-shaped relationship. Biological markers indicating accelerated aging were more common in individuals who slept less than six hours or more than eight hours per night. The lowest levels of aging markers were observed with sleep durations ranging from approximately 6.4 to 7.8 hours.
For their analysis, the team utilized data from approximately half a million participants in the UK Biobank. The researchers developed 23 “aging clocks” covering 17 organs and compared these metrics with sleep duration. Their calculations incorporated medical imaging data, proteins, metabolic markers, and other blood-based molecules.
The study identifies an association rather than a proven causal link. The authors emphasize that the results do not establish that short or long sleep directly causes organs to age faster; rather, unusual sleep duration may itself be a sign of pre-existing health issues.
Sleep deprivation was also linked to depressive episodes, anxiety disorders, obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, ischemic heart disease, and arrhythmias. Researchers associated both short and long sleep durations with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, gastritis, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
Additionally, the scientists examined the link between sleep duration and depression in older adults. The analysis showed that short sleep duration may be more directly linked to its severity, whereas with prolonged rest, processes reflected in markers of brain and adipose tissue aging may play a role. The authors suggest this could indicate distinct biological mechanisms associated with sleep deficiency and excess.
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